AOL recently made news with its $299 PC deal (plus $50 shipping) reported in the Dec. 3 Wall Street Journal. Customers willing to commit to AOL’s standard $23.90/mo dial-up plan for 1 year are eligible to purchase a well-equipped PC/printer bundle from Systemax. The package, sold for $699 plus shipping at sister company www.TigerDirect.com , features an Intel Celeron 1.7GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, CD/floppy drives, 56k modem, Ethernet, Windows XP, 1-year warranty, Sun’s office software suite, and comes bundled with a 17” monitor and Lexmark Z605 printer. See  http://www.299pcdeal.com/    for more details.  

¹For example, Dell currently offers a similar PC with 17" monitor for $399 (+ $99 shipping), that includes 6-months free AOL access.

Banks could piggyback this deal with extra incentives to signup for a new checking account, online banking, bill pay, overdraft protection, or whatever. With additional rebates, you could drop the price to $249, $199, or even lower. However, there are two big drawbacks: a $280 AOL subscription commitment which could put you at odds with local ISPs and customers who consider it a bait-and-switch offer; and the 21.9% APR financing option (at checkout) through Wells Fargo Financial Services. Although, the current offer is available only through Dec. 31, 2003, you might be able to swing a deal directly with Systemax  http://www.systemax.com/  or with a name brand such as Dell, to offer a Yourbank Optimized PC, without the AOL commitment.¹